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How To Be A Responsible Voter

Elections are not only about the candidates. It is about the citizens as well. A country needs both its citizens and government to work together to progress. That’s why in this entry, I will dicuss ways on how to achieve being a responsible voter.

Know the candidates well. Check out their educational attainment, political history, views on national issues and etc. (Check out the profiles of the Philippine Presidentiable Candidates Here.)

Know their platform of government. It is not enough to just know their background, but also you need to be informed of the government they want for your country. By taking a look at this, you’ll be able to see if it’s the same government you want. (Check out the platfoms of Roxas, Santiago, Duterto, Binay and Poe in Here.

Make a criteria of your own for your ideal leader. This is important so that you don’t vote someone just cause they are the most famous or they are the ones that your family is rooting for. With your ideal qualities, you will be able to pinpoint who really deserves your vote. (Previously, I made one, click this to check it out)

Know the fair election policies. The Resolution No. 10049 , fair election practices that sets the limits for the use of press, radio, and television facilities for political advertisements. Voters need to be vigilant and take a proactive role in assessing and communicating to Comelec if candidates follow or violate these fair election rules

A few of these fair election practices include:

–Under Section 37 of Resolution No. 10049, the campaigning for candidates by government officials would constitute an “election offense” which is punishable by imprisonment of not less than a year but not more than six years without probation. The erring official shall also be sentenced to disqualification to hold public office and deprivation of his right to vote, in accordance to Sec. 264 of the Omnibus Election Code.

–Under Section 1, number 4 (e), personal opinions, views and preferences given by government officials will be considered as election campaigning.

–Prohibited forms of election propaganda materials include newspaper, newsletter, newsweekly, gazette or magazine advertising, pamphlet, leaflet, card, decal, bumper sticker, poster, comic book, circular, handbill, streamer, sample list of candidates, or any published or printed political matter and to air or broadcast any election propaganda or political advertisement by television or radio or on the internet for or against a candidate or group of candidates to any public office, unless they bear and be identified by the reasonably legible, or audible words “political advertisement paid for” followed by the true and correct name and address of the candidate or party for whose benefit the election propaganda was printed or aired.

–The size of the common poster areas for party-list groups and candidates that are affiliated with a party, are limited to 12 ft. x 16 ft. Independent candidates are only allowed the size of 4 ft. x 6 ft. The size of the individual posters that may be posted in each common poster area is limited to 2 ft. x 3 ft.

6. Know your candidates’ campaign expenditures.You have to know if your candidate has overgone the specified limit of amount for campaign expenditures. You’ll be able to see who is really campaigning truthfully with this.

Expenditure limits per registered voter in the constituency a candidate is running are:

Php 3.00 – individual candidate supported by political party

Php 5.00 – individual candidate not supported or nominated by political party

Php 5.00 – Political Parties

PhP 10.00 – candidates for President or Vice President

Candidates are prohibited, during campaign period and on the day or before the day of the election, from:

Making donations, contributions, or gifts in cash or in kind

Undertaking or contributing to, the construction or repair of roads, bridges, school buses, puericulture centers, medical clinics and hospitals, churches or chapels cement pavements, or any structure for public use, or for the use of religious or civic organizations.

7. Share your knowledge. Not only should you keep the information you gathered about them to yourself but also you should share it with others. Especially those who don’t have the means to such. By doing so, more and more people gain more knowledge about the candidates and the elections.
8. Don’t bully other candidates. For me this is very important, because they are human beings as well. I mean just cause you don’t prefer them to be your president does not mean you have the right to belittle them. If you have nothing nice to say, then don’t say nothing at all. This also goes to the supporters who push their candidates in people’s throats in a sense that they even make fun of someone who supports a candidate they don’t like. How can our nation prosper, when even the citizens mock each other?

We have to be worthy of our right to vote. We must vote wisely. It is our civic duty to be participative in nation-building as well as in being a check and balance to those in power.
The next leader is in our hands, so if you haven’t registered yet and you’re 18, go and get your biometrics done and get your voter’s id.